BBQ Chicken Tacos with Tomatillo Salsa

I'm a huge fan of all things involving Mexican food. Smoky parika, super spicy cayenne, sweet tomatoes and soft avocado, all make Mexican dishes unique and delicious. It makes me feel like I'm having a fiesta in my mouth, with bursts of flavor erupting with every bite.

The base of many Mexican dishes is corn, which lends itself very well to someone living on a gluten-free diet. Most traditional Mexican food is naturally gluten-free and needs little adaptation, if any, to make it safe for all us who are sensitive to gluten.

And here in VT, classic Mexican ingredients are in full bloom and we're getting loaded up with these delicious goodies in our CSA basket each week. This week we opened our bag to find gigantic heirloom tomatoes, brilliantly green and purple tomatillos, crunchy purple cabbage and a bunch of fresh cilantro.

Are you thinking the same thing as me? It was time to throw a Mexican feast for me and Mr. Henderson. This time featuring fresh salsa verde served over warm, shredded chicken tacos. Oh boy was this gonna be good!

And in proper summer fashion, I decided I needed to add a BBQ flare to this dish for a little added fun. Wary at first how the two flavors would intertwine, I was elated when I took my first bite.

The sweet tang from the barbecue sauce was the perfect balance to the smoky roasted tomatillo salsa. Topped with a perfectly ripe avocado and crispy purple cabbage, the tacos were simply sensational!

Toss the tomatillos in 1 tablespoon olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper and toss to coat.

Roast in the oven until the tomatillos begin to soften and their juices start to ooze out, about 5 – 7 minutes.

Add the roasted tomatillos, cilantro, remaining 2 tablespoons of olive oil to a high speed blender and blend on low until you have a smooth consistency.

Heat the tortillas in a microwave or over medium heat in a dry saute pan.

Serve the chicken onto each tortilla, top with cabbage and sliced avocado and drizzle with tomatillo salsa.

Wrap up and enjoy!

by Alyssa

51

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size

Amount Per Serving

As Served

Calories1008kcalCalories from fat 426

% Daily Value

Total Fat47g

72%

Saturated Fat8g

40%

Transfat0g

Cholesterol56mg

19%

Sodium2790mg

116%

Carbohydrate127g

42%

Dietary Fiber17g

68%

Sugars83g

Protein27g

Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs:

Calories

2000

Total Fat

Less than

65g

Sat Fat

Less than

25g

Cholesterol

Less than

300mg

Sodium

Less than

2,400mg

Total Carbohydrate

300g

Dietary Fiber

25g

Now, if you don't already know this about me, I try to avoid eating refined sugar whenever I can. Since sugar is one of the top ingredients in barbecue sauce, I decided I needed to whip up my own, easy homemade version for this recipe. You could easily replace this sauce with your own favorite barbecue sauce and the recipe would be just as tasty!

I am Hispanic and corn tortillas are a staple in my home, as well as tamales during Christmas time; both products are corn based. In my research I am not finding corn to be a grain that people are allergic to. Are corn tortillas Gluten Free without having to buy special brands? (Corn, lime, salt, and some water)…Tamale masa is not a flour dough, its fresh ground corn, lard, and seasonings mixed thoroughly for hours until consistency reaches is full potential.

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Hi there! I'm Alyssa!

Welcome to Simply Quinoa, a blog dedicated to simple, healthy food, always with a quinoa twist. I'm a former marketer turned full-time blogger living in NYC, with a serious love of anything peanut butter or chocolate. It's nice to meet you!